Exotic Bush Honeysuckles

Native to Japan, China, Korea, Manchuria, Turkey and southern Russia, Bush Honeysuckles ( Lonicera spp.) were first imported as a landscape plant. Relatively shade-intolerant, they most often occur in forest edge, abandoned field, pasture, roadsides and other open, upland habitats. Exotic bush honeysuckles can rapidly invade and overtake a site, forming a dense shrub layer that crowds and shades out native plant species ( from the National Park Service Plant Conservation Alliance).

Resources

New York Invasive Species Clearing House (CCE Invasive Species Program) provides information on habitats, origin and introduction, identification, prevention and control.

Virginia Cooperative Extension website provides background and identification information for Bush Honeysuckles, and includes a table of suggested chemical controls in forested settings.

Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources provides general information, plus some suggested native substitutes to plant, and links to several helpful USDA Forest Service fact sheets.

Last updated December 6, 2023